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Vilinius - While getting a quick weather update for the holiday destination you're heading to may be easy as a Google search, knowing what to expect from its general state of mind - whether there's a happy vibe or a gloomy cloud hanging over it - is far more difficult to determine.

Well, that is until a brand new tool measuring happiness around the world was launched this month.

CNN Travel reports that the Happy Barometer invites people to record their happiness level on a zero-to-10 scale on an hoursly basis, as well as noting where in the world they are. .

Its aim, say founders, is "to encourage people around the world to smile more and share good emotions."

"There are a lot of worldwide happiness indexes but most are based on economic criteria," says Arturas Jonkus, co-founder of IQ Polls, which runs the software.

The Happy Barometer also allows you to compare how happy or miserable you are compared with the rest of the planet on an hourly basis.

Users can search their city on the Happy Barometer site and insert their mood level.

The initiative kicked off in Vilnius, Lithuania, one of the world's unhappiest countries according to a recent happiness report.

At the time of this writing, the city scored a contented seven out of 10.

In the first week the system collected more than 5 000 entries with an average happiness score of 6.1.

Currently, Johannesburg is the only South African destination on the barometer.

So, next time you're jetting off to a new destination, checking in with the happiness barometer might be a good idea, so you know whether to bring your game face or not.

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